A Victorian Love Story
by Aubrey212
Summary: The Lady Beatrice Taylor is in the midst of all the beloved CSIs – but they are no CSIs and they live in Victorian London! How does that change their lives and characters? Better summary inside. An AU fic with various pairings. Read & Review! Ch. 6 up!
1. Chapter 1

_**Thank you to Jess (Hylen) and Brina (Brinchen86) for encouraging me to write this story. Thanks girls for giving me a kick in the right direction!**_

_**So, this story is a try – I don't know whether you're going to like it or not. I will have to rely on your feedback – be it in PMs or Reviews. Please let me know what you think, else I'll never know whether this is going in the right direction and whether you guys actually want to read this. So, click the button at the end!**_

_**Now, on to the story details:**_

_**Setting:**__** London, 1837.**_

_**Category:**__** AU, History/Romance**_

_**Summary:**__** The Lady Beatrice Taylor is the daughter of the powerful Earl Mac Taylor. She is also an aspiring writer, but does her father approve? And what will happen when her best friend, Lady Lindsay Monroe, falls in love with her servant? What about the unhappy marriage between Deputy Chief Constable Donald Flack and his wife Jessica? Will the Baroness Bonasera win over the heart of the Earl? This and more, in my story.**_

_**Pairings:**__** Flack/Angell, DL, Mac/Stella, Hawkes/OC (the latter was decided on 17/06 after having published chapter 6) – all of the characters of CSI:NY will be in the story though.**_

_**Spoilers: Obviously, none.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't anything related to CSI:NY - all I own is my OC Beatrice Taylor and my own ideas.  
**_

_**Thank you very much to Brina (Brinchen86) for beta'ing and encouraging! Love you, hun! **_

* * *

_London, February 1837._

The Lady Beatrice Taylor was sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace. She looked out of the window and could see the white snowflakes falling out of the sky, settling down on the earth and covering the green grass. Beatrice sighed – she preferred spring over winter and she couldn't wait for the weather to get better and warmer. The spring and summer season also meant that her father would take her back to Heslington Hall, their manor house in Yorkshire. She loved the big park that belonged to the house and when she wanted, she could spend all day outdoors. In winter, her father, the Earl Mac Taylor of Heslington Hall, preferred to stay in their town house in London. He used the winter season for his businesses before he returned to Yorkshire with his daughter to spend the summer either there or in Bath, in society.

Her father always wanted her to come to Bath with him and she couldn't always refuse. But as much as she loved the city of Bath, she despised of the society that her father kept there.

Beatrice was a very solitary person, the happiest when she could read a book or hold a pen in her hand. The only person to wake her up from her reveries was her best friend, the Lady Lindsay Monroe.

And it was her, who just came into the room and made Bea place down the book she was reading.

"Bea!" Lindsay greeted her best friend. She flew over to her, kissed her on both cheeks and then took off her bonnet. She handed it over to the maid, who was waiting, and then sat down.

"You don't want to take off your coat?" Bea asked.

"What?" Lindsay asked, bewildered by Bea's question. She needed a second to understand what Bea meant. "Oh, right. But I'm so excited," she giggled and took her coat off and handed that as well to the waiting maid.

"Anything I could bring you, Miss?" Katharina, the maid, asked Bea.

"Some tea, please, Katharina," Bea asked and excused the maid.

As soon as Katharina was out of the door, Lindsay blurted out: "My uncle is going to give a ball next weekend!"

"A ball?" Bea enquired.

"A really big ball. Oh, how I long for the next weekend! You know how much I love balls. What do you do tomorrow? We could go down into the city and buy some new dresses and bonnets!"

"Calm down, Lindsay. It's just one ball of many this season. Why are you so excited anyway?"

"Because it's the first ball that my uncle is giving in the house!" Lindsay replied.

Bea smiled at her best friend: "Oh right, it is, isn't it? I wonder what took Lord Hammerback that long anyway," she wondered.

"Oh, who cares about that now? We will have a ball next weekend and there will be so many guests coming. Oh, you should see the guest list, it's so very long!" Lindsay babbled on. "Why are you not as excited as I am?" she then asked Bea.

"You should know me by now, Lindsay, I'm just not so much into balls," she answered.

Katharina came back into the room and set the tea tray down on the little table between Beatrice and Lindsay, in front of the fireplace. She poured two cups and then asked Bea if there was anything else the Miss needed doing.

"Katharina, get out Lady Beatrice's best ball dress because she will be attending a ball next weekend!" Lindsay shouted out.

Beatrice smiled at Katharina and with a nod, she signalled her that this was all and that she was allowed to leave. Beatrice then turned to Lindsay and smiled. She adored her best friend, she even loved her when she was all exhilarated as she was now. Bea took her cup of tea and sipped.

"Will you please say that you're coming?" Lindsay asked, pleadingly.

"Of course I'm coming, Lindsay. Do you think that the Earl would allow me to stay home, even if I begged him to?" she raised a concern.

That seemed to be enough to calm Lindsay down and she took up her cup and settled back into her chair. "What have you been reading today?" she asked.

"Oh Lindsay, the most wonderful story in the world! Mister Dickens has published the beginning of a new novel. It is called _The Adventures of Oliver Twist_ and I read it today in the _Bentley's Miscellany_," she remarked.

"I can't believe your father still lets you read those," Lindsay said in astonishment.

"Well, he doesn't know I'm reading it," Bea answered with a whimsical smile on her face.

Lindsay gasped. "Then, where did you get the paper from?"

"Adam bought it for me."

"Your stable boy?" Lindsay called out.

"He has the right sort of character and you of all people shouldn't judge him for his position. He is a hard worker and he takes good care of our horses at Heslington Hall. And he also does his job as a servant here in town very well," Bea lectured her best friend.

Lindsay grumbled and then asked further: "And what do you mean by 'me of all people' shouldn't judge?"

Bea smiled at Lindsay and sighed. "Maybe because you are in love with your servant?"

"I am not!" Lindsay gasped. "You know that I am practically spoken for," she said and put down her cup.

"But we both know that your marriage to Dr. Hawkes is your uncle's desire and not your own," Bea remarked.

Lindsay didn't know what to say to this, so she avoided her best friend's gaze and got up, walking over to the window.

"Come on, admit that you have taken a fancy to the handsome Master Daniel," Bea digged deeper.

Lindsay turned around and blushed. "Maybe," she answered meekly. With a sigh she sat back down in her chair and continued: "But I am promised to Dr. Hawkes and we both know I could never marry my servant!"

"Stranger things have happened," Bea pointed out.

"Oh you, don't you mock such a poor soul as mine," Lindsay shouted and closed her eyes. She couldn't see Bea's smile. "You'll never fully understand me anyway," Lindsay started.

"What do you mean by that, darling?" Bea wanted to know.

"You don't want to get married, ever. And why? Only because Miss Austen never got married!" Lindsay confronted Bea.

"So? You have read Miss Austen's stories – so wonderfully romantic tales and such a witty style of writing. I wish I was Miss Austen," Bea sighed.

"But don't you think Miss Austen was in love? How else could she have known so much about love?" Lindsay remarked.

"I don't know, I personally think Miss Austen is the wisest person that has ever lived," Bea answered, proudly.

Lindsay smiled at Bea, knowing that when it came to the topic of writing and Miss Jane Austen, no-one could convince Beatrice that she was wrong or stubborn.

"Have you heard the latest gossip?" Lindsay then changed the subject.

"What is it now?" Bea groaned, normally not interested in the stories of the upper class, but ever since Lindsay was her best friend, those story were inevitable. Her best friend took a liking to gossip of all sorts and she had the most fun discussing other people's private life.

"I heard today that Deputy Chief Constable Flack is about to divorce his wife Jessica!" Lindsay blurted out.

"Why?" Bea asked, shocked. She had expected a lot of things to happen, but she always thought that the Flacks were a very happy couple. Plus, Bea had to admit, that she had a soft spot for the Constable, even though he was married. She was always convinced that he would be the only man she would give herself to, but then he got married and she resolved never to get married herself

"Well, they have been married for almost a year now and Jessica is still not with child," Lindsay explained. "As you can see, she is neglecting her duties."

"Duties? Oh Lindsay, you are such a hopeless romantic!" Bea cried out. "For you a marriage is only perfect when there are about twelve children sitting around the fireplace."

"And what is wrong with that?" Lindsay asked.

"Don't you aspire more in life than being an angel, waiting at home for the husband to get back at night?"

"I personally cannot think of a better way to spend my day," Lindsay retorted, her chin up in the air.

Bea smiled and gently caressed Lindsay's hand with hers. "Don't let us start a fight. We both know we are so very different and yet, you know that you are my favourite person in the whole world."

Lindsay turned to Bea and smiled back at her, took her hand and gently pressed it. "I know. Lady Beatrice and Lady Lindsay are going to conquer the world one day. And we are going to start next weekend…"

"…at the ball!" Bea finished the sentence and started giggling.

Their happiness was then interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Bea asked.

Katharina came into the room and announced a visitor – the Baroness Stella Bonasera. She originally came from Greece and had been married to an English aristocrat. Now that he was dead and she a widow, she was out to find a new husband and it seemed as if she had chosen Earl Taylor as her newest victim.

"Ask her in, please, Katharina," Bea demanded. "God, I wish she wouldn't come round as often," Bea whispered to Lindsay and made her smile.

Lindsay knew that Bea wished her father would never marry again, but Bea knew that she had no choice in the matter.

"Lady Beatrice!" Stella greeted Bea as she came into the room. She kneeled down in front of Bea and kissed her hand. "Lady Monroe!" she then greeted Lindsay as well, doing her the same honour of curtsying.

"Baroness, what brings you here?" Bea asked and signalled for Stella to sit down on the large couch in the room.

"I was wondering whether your father, the Earl, was in," Stella hesitantly wanted to know.

"I'm afraid he is out, doing business in the city somewhere. I'm sorry you missed him," Bea replied and winked at Lindsay. Her friend understood the wink and had a hard time suppressing a giggle.

"Oh well, that is a pity now. But tell, do you know whether he will be at Lord Hammerback's ball next weekend?"

"I'm quite certain that he will be, Baroness," Bea answered.

"Good," Stella said and smiled to herself. What Bea couldn't know was that Stella really had deep feelings for the Earl and that she did not only want to marry him for the sake of marrying, but because she was in love with him.

Stella then got up again and put her bonnet back on. "I'll leave you two to your tea then. I assume I'll be seeing you at the ball," she said and left the room.

Bea and Lindsay then were left alone and spent the rest of the afternoon discussing Lindsay's newest town news.

* * *

_**Click the review-button and let me know what you think about this!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you so much for all the nice feedback on the first chapter of my new story. I'm really happy that you like it - I already consider this one to be my baby. I love all things Victorian - and this is a nice preparation for my master's thesis which will have Sexuality in Victorian Literature as a subject - so expect a lot of that. ;)**_

_**This is now the second chapter and I hope you all like this one as well. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll review at the end!**_

_**Thank you so much for the best beta in the world - Brina (Brinchen86).**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own nothing, even if I wanted to.**_

* * *

It was already five o'clock in the late afternoon when Lindsay left Bea's house and rode in her uncle's carriage back home. On the way, there were so many thoughts going through her mind that Lindsay had a hard time concentrating on just a single one. There was the ball and she had to consider what to wear. There were the latest stories about Deputy Chief Constable Flack's marriage, which she was sincerely interested in because she was well-acquainted with the married couple. And then, there was Daniel Messer, her servant. Bea had hit a weak spot of hers earlier when she had commented on Lindsay liking him.

Lindsay knew that she would never have a future with a servant and she thought that she might only fancy him because he was particularly handsome. He had short blond hair, a cute stub nose, was wearing glasses and always had a whimsical smile on his face - she liked that about him. He was also particularly witty, something you could rarely find in a servant.

Lindsay sighed. She was almost at home and she knew that her daydreaming would then come to an end. Her uncle was probably already home,waiting for her and she was sure that he would reprimand her for having stayed out so long.

Arriving in front of the big town house, the carriage came to a halt and the door was opened for Lindsay. One of the servants helped her out by offering his hand and she readily took it. She had to gather up the skirt of her green dress as she stepped outside and was thankful that the servant steadied her. She thanked him when she was standing in front of the carriage and then quickly made her way inside.

Her maid was already waiting for Lindsay at the door. She took her bonnet and helped her out of her coat.

"Your uncle and Dr. Hawkes are waiting in the drawing room, ma'am," she informed her.

Lindsay sighed and stepped in front of the mirror. She adjusted her dress ad checked her hair. She was wearing her long blond hair in curls, pinned up to a bun, with a few strands loose now after a long day. She tried to fix it as best as she could and then entered the drawing room.

Her uncle, Lord Sid Hammerback, was standing at the fireplace, his back to the door. She could see the grey hair at the back of his head receding and he was holding a glass of Brandy in the one and a cigar in the other hand. Even from the back, he looked like a very noble man in the dark grey suit that he was wearing.

To his right, Lindsay noticed Dr. Hawkes, the physician of the family and her soon-to-be fiance - it was only a matter of when he would ask her, a mere formality at this point. He had black skin, short black hair and dark eyes. Whenever he smiled, you could see his very white teeth, giving him an air of cleanliness and comfort. He was wearing a black suit and looked overall very handsome. Lindsay thought to herself that her uncle could have made a far worse choice for her.

She announced her presence in the room by a rather unladylike clearing of the throat. Immediately both, her uncle and turned around and smiled at her.

"There you are, my darling," her uncle welcomed her. He walked towards her and lightly kissed his niece's forehead. "Look whom I have met today and invited over for dinner," he added and winked at Lindsay - a wink she knew to mean that she had to be particularly nice to her future husband.

"Uncle, I am so sorry I have come back so late, but I had to tell Beatrice all about the ball, you know," she tried to excuse her late-coming. "Dr. Hawkes, it is such a great pleasure to have you as our guest tonight," she then welcomed Hawkes.

"You know, Sheldon, my niece is very well acquainted with the daughter of the Earl of Heslington, Mac Taylor? I am certain that you must have heard of him," Sid explained.

"Of course, I have, my Lordship. I am their family physician as well," Hawkes explained his relations with Beatrice's family.

"Oh then," was all that Sid said. He knew that Dr. Hawkes had excellent references and that he was the perfect match for his niece.

"Uncle, have you already told Bertha that we have a guest? I know you and I'm sure you have quite forgotten to enlighten our cook of such an important fact," Lindsay smiled at her uncle.

"Oh Lindsay, you are quite right. I have forgotten to tell her. But I am certain that Daniel must have already done so - he welcomed us at the door earlier," Sid replied.

"Why don't I go down rather quickly and see how far dinner is and whether she really knows to cook for three tonight," Lindsay excused herself from the room. She felt uncomfortable in Hawkes presence. As much as she knew that he would make a perfect husband for her, she didn't feel at ease with herself when he was around. Lindsay couldn't quite tell what it was. It might have been the fact that he was practically a stranger to her or it might have been the fact that she was a romantic soul after all and did not really approve of the arranged marriage she was supposed to have. _If only Bea was here with me now, she would know what to say_, Lindsay thought. But her best friend wasn't around, so Lindsay had to figure it out for herself.

She went down into the kitchen, which was located in the basement of the house. She did not announce herself when she walked into the room - already early on did she learn from her uncle that all servants were inferior to her and that she, as a Lady, would never have to announce her coming into a room to people inferior to herself.

In the kitchen, she immediately saw Bertha standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. In the kitchen was a small wooden table with two benches and on one of these, Danny was sitting, cleaning his shoes with a dirty piece of cloth. When he saw that Lindsay was standing in the kitchen, he immediately got up and took off his hat, hiding the cloth behind his back.

"Ma'am," he greeted her. Lindsay nodded and smiled at him. She always felt awkward when in the same room with Danny. It always took them some minutes and at least one of Danny's jokes to break the ice again.

"Danny, shouldn't you clean your shoes at the beginning of a day?" she reprimanded teasingly.

"Aye, ma'am," he answered meekly. Danny was originally from New York and because he hadn't been successful in making a living there, he had come to England to work as a servant boy for a rich family. His father had been Lord Hammerback's gardener and so, he had inherited the son as well. "I know that, Miss, but your uncle, the Lordship has commented on them not being clean enough. And so I thought, ..." he continued.

"That you had better clean them before coming back up?" Lindsay laughed. Danny smiled at her and didn't say another word. He felt caught out by the beautiful Lady he was working for.

Danny sat back down after Lindsay nodded at him - a nod he by now knew to understand as being allowed to continue with his activities. He saw Lindsay walking over to Bertha and he had them talk about the upcoming dinner and the guest the family had. Danny took the time to take a closer look at Lindsay - he knew he had to be careful with his glances because any glance towards her observed by the wrong person might have severe consequences. He didn't even dare think what the Lordship would do if he knew that his servant was completely and utterly in love with the young Lady Lindsay. But Danny had never before seen anyone as gracious and beautiful before. Her slim waist which you could clearly see in the dress she was wearing - he could practically imagine the corset she must be wearing underneath. She had a very slender and long neck and a few loose strands of her hair were curling around it. Danny had to avert his gaze - Lindsay was too beautiful and he could not stand to look at her for long. He feared that he might do something inappropriate and then lose his position in the Lordship's household. That was the biggest fear that Danny had - losing his position and then being far away from Lindsay.

Lindsay by now was done talking to Bertha and smiled at him as she left the room. He started dreaming about Lindsay when Bertha, rather roughly, smacked him on the head with a large spoon.

"Aye, dreamer! It's Lisa's day off today, so you will have to serve the dinner later. Get changed,make yourself presentable," she announced and with a groan, Danny got up. He knew about the upcoming marriage between Lady Lindsay and Dr. Hawkes, the physician and he wasn't sure he could bear the sight of them together.

* * *

By now it was 6 o'clock in the evening and Bea was still sitting in front of the fireplace, a book in her hand. She looked up at the watch, which was standing on the mantelpiece, and wondered where her father was. He was normally at home at this time of night, but today, he was nowhere to be seen. Bea rang the bell and only a couple of minutes later, Katharina came into the room.

"Ma'am has rung the bell?" she enquired.

"Yes, I have Katharina. Tell, do you know where my father is?" Bea wanted to know.

"I have no idea, ma'am. The Earl didn't specify when he would be home. Do you want us to serve dinner for you, Miss?"

"No, Katharina, I think I'll be waiting a little while longer. Thank you though, that would be all," Bea replied and Katharina left the room. As soon as the door was closed, Bea heard the clattering of hooves on the street and she heard the familiar sound of a carriage pulling up in front of the house.

Quickly, Bea got up and hid the book she was reading under one of the pillows of the couch. Her father always hated it when Bea read as much as she did and it was better when he didn't always see all the books she spent her time with. Only seconds later, the drawing room door opened and her father, the Earl of Heslington came into the room.

"Oh Beatrice, why haven't you started dinner already?" he immediately reprimanded his daughter for waiting on him, something she had thought was a nice thing of her to do.

"You know how much I hate eating alone. And I know you do, too, father and so I thought I would wait a little while longer," she explained.

Her father took off his hat and gloves and sat down on the couch - directly on the pillow where Bea had hidden her book. He felt something hard beneath him and checked. Bea knew she was in trouble and lowered her head.

He checked the title of the book he had found and slammed it on the table.

"Beatrice!" he yelled.

"Father?" was all she retorted.

"Have you been reading Miss Austen again?" he wanted to know because the book he had found was called _Northhanger Abbey_.

"I only wanted to pass the time a little bit after Lindsay left," she tried to explain.

"Then why don't you stick or stitch like all other girls your age do?" he asked and shook his head.

"You know as well as I do that I am not like any other girl my age," she exclaimed and got up from her chair and walked over to the window. The night had already set in and it was too dark to see anything.

"You will be 18 in a few month and if you ask me, that is the right age to get married," her father stated.

"Get married?" Bea shouted out.

"Yes, married. I have talked to Lord Hammerback about this and he has already found a suitor for Lindsay. On the ball next weekend I am going to have a look for a suitable candidate for your marriage," he let her know.

"I will not get married, ever!" Bea called out in frustration.

"Of course you will, Beatrice. You are a member of the upper class and you will behave like one," he ordered in a harsh voice. A little more gently, he then added: "I only wish your mother was still alive to teach you proper behaviour."

Mac Taylor, the Earl of Heslington, left the room and his daughter behind, in tears.

* * *

_**  
Next chapter - Introduction of Deputy Chief Constable Flack and his wife. Also, what will Bea do to avoid her father's orders? And how will the dinner at Lord Hammerback's house go - will Danny be able to cope with seeing Lady Lindsay and Dr. Hawkes together?**_

_**For all that and more, keep reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you so much for your really nice feedback on this story. I am rather proud of this one, so any good feedback is making me smile. But if there is anything you'd like to criticize – do so! I take any constructive criticism into consideration!**_

_**Thanks once again for my great beta – my best friend, Brina (Brinchen86)! HDGDL!**_

_**Disclaimer**__**: The idea and Bea are mine – everything else belongs to CBS!**_

_**This chapter is a rather long one – forgive me, but once my muse starts, it won't stop! But then again, most Victorian Novels are three-decker novels – novels in three volumes. Does that excuse the length?**_

* * *

Deputy Chief Constable Donald Flack walked into his house and handed his top hat to the maid who had opened him the door.

"Is my wife in?" he enquired.

"She is upstairs in her room, Sir. Ma'am wasn't feeling well and went to lie down," she answered.

"When was that?" he asked further?

"Two hours ago, Sir," she said and took the coat that Flack had taken off.

"Thank you, Lena," he dismissed her and walked into his study.

Inside, he walked over to his desk and sat down. The desk was covered with papers and where others would have only seen chaotic surroundings, Flack had a system. One pile contained closed cases that hadn't come to trial yet. Another pile consisted of all the open cases that his detectives were working on and which he had to supervise. And a third pile was full of folders – the cases he was working on himself. Flack had always been talented at his work and that was why he had made it to Deputy Chief Constable as quickly as he had. He was highly respected within London's police force and he was seen as a fair and demanding superior. Ever since he had made it as high up the ladder as he was now, there was less crime in the city and that was something Flack was proud of. He could at least rest on his working laurels.

His marriage, however, was not going quite as successfully. He and Jessica had been married for almost a year now and his wife was still not with child. Various doctors had been there to examine his wife and the doctors themselves had consulted with each other – neither one of them could find anything at fault with Jessica. When he and Jessica had gotten married, they had been looking forward to building a family and now all those plans seemed to slowly vanish. Flack dearly wanted to be a father and his position in society practically demanded that he'd built a family soon.

Another problem of his was that he could not present his wife in society as of late. She was staying up in her room almost all day and she avoided their dinners together. Dr. Hawkes had been in last week and he had warned Flack that Jessica was suffering from depression. He advised Flack not to pressure his wife any longer – it might simply be that she could not bear any children.

For Flack that was an unbearable thought – in the society he lived in, a marriage was only perfect when there were children around, as a manifest to love and family. It hadn't been that long ago that he had talked with his lawyer whether their childlessness would be a reason for divorce. This was not an easy decision for Flack because he loved his wife – that was why he had married her in the first place. They had sworn each other true love forever, but now Flack wasn't sure anymore whether he could hold that promise.

He rang the bell for the maid. She came in and asked what the Master wanted.

"Tell my wife to come down for dinner. I want to have dinner with her tonight. And tell her that I will not allow any excuses on her part again," he ordered.

The maid left and walked up to the first floor to wake up her mistress. She gently knocked on the door and waited to be asked inside.

"Miss, the Sir would like you to come down for dinner."

"Tell him that I'm indisposed and cannot come down tonight," Jessica answered. She was lying on the bed and had a piece of cloth over her face to shield her from any form of bright light. She had a severe migraine.

"The Master says that he would not accept any excuses tonight, Miss," the maid said hesitantly. She didn't like being caught between her Master and her Mistress, but she also knew that her work required to not being too inquisitive.

Jessica groaned and told her maid that she would be right down – she just needed a couple of minutes to clean up nicely for her husband. She dreaded the dinner with Flack because she knew that they would either not talk at all or they would fight. She saw her husband slipping away from her and she was afraid that he might divorce her. No matter what she tried, she just couldn't conceive and it was eating her up inside – that she couldn't give the one thing to her husband that he so deeply desired.

* * *

Back at Lord Hammerback's house, he was sitting with his niece and the doctor around the dinner table. One of the maids had poured them all some wine and water and they were now waiting for dinner to be served.

Lindsay was involved in a conversation with Hawkes about the ball next weekend and her uncle was just looking at them discussing various advantages and disadvantages to a ball. He was proud of his beautiful and eloquent niece – so proud that he sometimes wished to be her father. Lindsay's parents were living in the West Indies, where her father was Governor of a colony. Her mother had accompanied her husband into the great unknown, but they had not wanted to take their daughter along. So they had asked him, the mother's brother, to take the young Lindsay in and give her the education that she would not be able to enjoy in the colonies. Sid had been more than happy to take his niece in – he had always wanted children, but his wife had died in childbed and his little child had died only shortly after. He had never fully recovered from the loss of his dear wife, so that he had never been interested in getting remarried. All he wanted for his niece now, was to get married and be as happy as he had been all those years ago. And to satisfy his sister and her husband, he had chosen the best partner Lindsay could have ever hoped for.

"Do you dance?" Lindsay asked Hawkes.

"I do indeed, Miss. But why don't you just let me show you next weekend? You would do me a great honour if you would open the dance with me," Hawkes asked.

Lindsay blushed and answered him that she would gladly do him the honour. She then sighed and took her uncle's hand and pressed it lightly. "Oh uncle, have I already thanked you enough for giving this ball? I have so longed for a ball and now I'll have one next weekend!" she shouted out and her broad smile amused both, Sid and Hawkes.

"Any girl should be able to see the high pleasure and value that there is in a ball," Hawkes stated.

"You should tell that to Beatrice, Dr. Hawkes," Lindsay winked.

"Why? Does the Lady Beatrice not long for the ball?" he wondered.

"Beatrice is…" Lindsay hesitated and searched for the right words. "…special. She is not like other ladies of our class," she then said.

"Oh, really?" Hawkes exclaimed. "I have only met her a couple of times, but she always seemed so very charming and entertaining," he shared.

"Oh, she is. She is my best friend and I would not know what to do in this place without her," Lindsay called out.

Hawkes smiled at her – he was charmed by this young beauty, by her innocence and by her lust for life.

Just as Lindsay was about to add something about Bea, the door was opened and Danny walked in, serving the first course. He had changed into the best black suit and white shirt he owned. He had a severe air on his face and he had to concentrate on the process of serving, deeply worried that he might stumble and make a fool of himself in front of Lindsay.

"Oh Daniel, how nice of you to take Lisa's part tonight," Sid commented.

"Anything for your Lordship," Danny answered ungainly.

Lindsay sniggered at the awkward answer Danny had given – one could see that he was not trained in polite conversation, but rather in hard work. For Lindsay, this made him really pleasant – he was different from the men in her class and she liked that about him. Sometimes, Lindsay felt as if she had been born into the wrong class and with her gaiety she would rather be a match for one of the lower classes than for the reserved upper class she belonged to.

They all took their first course in silence and when it was time for Danny to clear away the plates, he stumbled and dropped one of the spoons on the floor. Out of reflex, Lindsay immediately bent down to pick it up, but so did Danny. Under the table, their heads bumped into each other and when both winced, they also bumped against the table top. This made them laugh, kneeling under the table together, both rubbing their heads and looking at each other. At that moment, they both felt such a strong and deep sense of connection between them as neither had ever felt before. They stopped laughing and simply stared at each other, caught up in the magic of the moment.

"Lindsay! Will you please come up from under the table!" her uncle reprimanded her in a fierce voice.

Lindsay woke up from her reveries and immediately came back up, followed by Danny, the spoon in hand.

"Messer, the next course. Now!" Lord Hammerback ordered indignantly. He disapprovingly looked at his servant and then at his niece. As soon as Danny was out of the room, Sid started again: "Lindsay, when will you ever learn that you are a member of the upper class and you have to behave like one!" he scolded her in Hawkes presence, deeply embarrassing Lindsay.

Not only felt she ashamed that Hawkes had seen his future fiancée in such a situation – she had also realized that the foolish feelings she might have for Danny had to stop immediately – they belonged to two different classes and that was a thing which simply didn't mix.

* * *

After the fight she had had with her father, Bea was sitting upstairs in her room. She had excused herself from dinner and had gone up without eating anything. She hadn't felt hungry by the time and even though now the hunger started to set in, she refused to go back down.

She would never let her father pressure her into doing something she did not honestly believe in. She had never felt the urge to get married and she was resolved never to change that. Her plans for her own life were different to the ones her father had for her, she knew that, and yet – no matter how much she loved, valued and appreciated him – he would never be able to force her into marriage.

For Bea, the highest feeling on earth was true love – something she encountered again and again in the novels by Jane Austen. How she had longed for Elizabeth and Darcy to finally admit to their feelings and how she had been happy when Emma had finally realized she was in love with Mr. Knightley! If ever Bea were to give up her independence, it had to be for a love as ideal, perfect and wonderful as that.

* * *

Downstairs in his study, the Earl of Heslington was sitting at his desk, bent over some papers. No matter how long he stared at the words in front of him, he couldn't make sense of them. His mind was somewhere far away – with Bea and with Bea's mother. He had loved that beautiful dark-haired woman, had adored her long curls, her full red lips and had never met a woman as perfect as her. She had been the love of his life and when she had died of typhoid a couple of years ago, it had ripped his heart up into pieces.

He knew that he was considered a very handsome bachelor in society these days and there were some very interesting women courting him, but he simply wasn't sure whether he was willing to risk his heart again. It had taken so long for him to gather the pieces back up and he was still not sure whether he had found them all.

The only woman out there he was remotely interested in was the Baroness Bonasera. She was a very interesting and a very beautiful woman, Mac had to admit. But in his eyes, she was trying too hard to win him over. If only she would give him a little more space and be a little less aggressive, he might even consider her as the future companion for his life.

He rang the bell that was standing on his desk and waited for the maid to come in. To his surprise, it was Martha, their cook, who now appeared at his door. Martha was by now way in her seventies and she had started working in his parents' household. Mac had grown up with her and she was the only servant in the whole world he could say he loved dearly. A few years ago he had offered her to go back to her family and enjoy her life there – he would have given her enough money for retirement. But she had simply refused and she had said that she had been in Mac's family for so long, she considered him and Bea her family. Mac had been very happy that day, but he had never admitted to this to anyone.

"Martha!" he now greeted her emphatically.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Katharina hadn't been feeling well and I sent her to bed," she explained. "Do you need anything, Sir?"

"No, Martha. I just wanted to know whether Beatrice had anything for dinner."

"No, Sir. The young Miss has gone to bed without," Martha started. Mac had already bent his head back down to his papers because he considered the conversation to be over, but Martha wasn't quite finished. "May I speak freely, Sir?" she started again.

Mac looked up at her and smiled. She was the only servant in the whole world whom he would grant such a wish. "Of course," he said. "You know that you will always be allowed," he added.

"You must not pressure the young Miss like that, Sir. She is trying so hard to be good," Martha pointed out.

"What do you mean exactly?" Mac asked again.

"I know that you, Sir, aren't very happy that the young Miss is reading so much. But if that is her only flaw, don't you think you should be happy, Sir?"

Mac pondered over this for a minute and then answered: "You think I am too hard on her sometimes?"

"Quite frankly, Sir? Yes, that's what I think," Martha answered.

"But she is almost eighteen now, she needs to get married soon. That's how life is, Martha. You've been with us for so long now, you should know," Mac emphasized.

"I know that, Sir. But why don't you give her the choice of choosing her husband herself?" she proposed.

"You know what? I'll think about that. Thank you Martha," he said and dismissed the maid.

* * *

_**Next chapter –**__** preparations for the ball commence and what will the next meeting between Danny and Lindsay be like? Will Don and Jess overcome their difficulties or grow even further apart? And did Mac take Martha's advice?**_

_**Keep reading and leave me a review! Click the little button, I know you want to. ;)  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you so much for everyone who is reading this story. I know it is very unconventional and yet, dear to me already.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and alerts I have gotten until now. It feels good to see your work appreciated!**_

_**Leave me a review at the end of the chapter!**_

_**And once again, thank you very much to my wonderful beta Brina (Brinchen86),**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Story idea and my OC Beatrice Taylor are mine. Everything else belongs to CBS.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Bea was sitting in her room, at her desk and she was writing in her diary. Most of the entries in there were about arguments with her father, how much she missed her mother and how she was different from the rest of the world.

From her desk, Bea could look down into the street. Sometimes, she forgot all about her writing and indulged in observing the people that walked past their house. Men in suits and top hats, women in expensive dresses, always an umbrella to hand in case the sun might hit them and ruin their tans – even if it was in the dead of winter. Bea quite liked her skin tanned and she had never understood the fashion of having to remain pale. Apparently, the paleness of the skin was a marker of which class you belonged to – the higher up you were standing in society, the paler you had to be. Every summer at Heslington Hall, when Bea spent most of her days outside walking through the gardens, she always got a tan and she liked it – for her it set summer apart from winter. She always compared it to the place she was living: the paleness and coldness of London and the gaiety, warmth and colourful surroundings at Heslington Hall.

Now as Bea once again observed the people down on the street, she saw a carriage pulling up in front of the house. She knew this carriage – it was Lord Hammerback's. Observing the bustle on the street, she watched Lindsay get out a couple of seconds later. Bea got up and straightened her dress, ready to receive her best friend. She walked downstairs and just came down as Lindsay walked in.

"Good that you're home. Do you maybe have a little bit of time for me?" she asked.

"I always have time for you, Lindsay, you know that," Bea answered and took her best friend into the drawing room. She turned towards the maid that had followed them and asked her to bring some tea.

"So, what is the matter?" she asked as she had sat down in her favourite chair next to the fireplace.

Lindsay was pacing the room, too nervous to sit down in it. "I cannot marry Dr. Hawkes," she then blurted out, after some minutes of silence.

"Why?" was Bea's simple question.

"Because I think I might not be in love him," Lindsay replied, standing by the window, looking out into the frosty and snowy garden outside.

"I know you aren't, that's no news to me," Bea stated and looked at Lindsay. As her friend did not reply, she went on: "You didn't choose him, your uncle did. If you want my opinion, those are no grounds a marriage should be based upon."

"But it's the way things work in our society and you know that just as anyone else does!" Lindsay called out.

"So what now? You want to marry him despite not having feelings for him?" Bea wanted to know.

"I have to," Lindsay answered in defeat.

"You don't have to do anything, Lindsay. No-one can make you. Follow your heart," was Bea's advice afterwards.

"I can't," Lindsay said and finally sat down next to Bea.

"Because Danny is a servant?" Bea asked provokingly

"You know that upper class and lower class don't tend to mix. It's like this for a reason," Lindsay explained desperately.

"Then don't get married at all," Bea suggested.

"I know that is the way you chose for yourself, but I don't think it would work for me, Beatrice."

Bea looked at Lindsay and wondered whether she should tell her friend about the argument she and her father had had the night before. By now, Bea was quite resolute in her decision not to marry the candidate her father would choose for her. She knew that if she refused to marry she would be cast away by her father – something she did not want to happen. But at the same time, it simply went against all she stood for when she would give in to her father's orders that easily. Bea was sure that the last word had not been spoken in the latest conflict between the Earl and his daughter. She hadn't seen him this morning and so his threat was still pending over Bea's head. She was not at all convinced that her father would follow his own set of rules – or at least she hoped that he wouldn't. She still hoped that he had only said this out of spite last night, but had never really meant it.

"Then tell me, my friend, what are you going to do now?" Bea wanted to know.

"Honestly, I do not know," Lindsay confessed. "I think I will have to forget about all the silly fancies I had about Daniel and myself and I will concentrate on Dr. Hawkes. He is a really nice man and I think I could love him one day."

"If that is the path you want to take, I will support you. I will always be by your side, Lindsay. No matter which way you will go," Bea said in support and leaned over to gently touch Lindsay's hand. "And if it doesn't work out," she added, "we will both move into Heslington Hall and be known as the two lovely spinsters!"

This made Lindsay giggle and Bea shared the laugher.

"Thank you," Lindsay said after some time.

"For what?" Bea asked.

"For always supporting me. You are my dearest friend and that will never change," Lindsay assured her.

* * *

Later that night, Bea's father, Mac, came back home from work. Bea could not even tell for certain what he was doing all day, as that was one of the topics they never discussed. By the rules of society, it was unseemly for a father to discuss his business with his daughter – even if she was the only one in the household he could talk to.

He was home late, so when he arrived, he walked straight into the dining room where Bea was already sitting over supper.

"Father," she greeted discontentedly as he sat down next to her at the head of the table.

"Beatrice, I have to talk to you," he started.

Bea already saw the worst coming, but was prepared nevertheless.

"I've had some time to think over the things I said last night and I think I have wronged you," he surprised Bea. She stayed silent and waited for what there was to follow next. "I still think that you should get married at your age. But I will be as fair as to give you a little bit of time to choose a husband for yourself."

Bea gulped. She had to realize that the whole marriage situation wasn't fully dealt with, but she was willing to esteem her father's concession.

"When do you think I should have found someone?" she wanted to know.

"I will give you this following month. There are some festivities coming up, beginning with the ball at Lord Hammerback's house. You will have plenty of time to choose one of the many suitors I know you have," he let her know, spooning his soup slowly.

"Only a month? Surely, father, you can't be serious with this," Bea exclaimed.

"I assure you that I am. If after this month is over you still haven't made a decision, I will be the one to make it for you. As you may see, I have already met you halfway. I just hope that you will make use of the month you have."

With that, the conversation was over for Mac and he kept on eating his dinner in silence. He did not allow any opposition on Bea's part, that much she was certain of.

Bea knew that she had to make the most of the situation and decide rather quickly which way to go – either she would find someone to marry or she would lose her father forever.

* * *

Back at Deputy Chief Constable Flack's house, he was sitting at dinner with his wife Jessica. It was the second night in a row that she had come down after having been ordered to supper by her husband.

"How was your day, my darling," Jessica made an attempt at conversation.

"It was good," was all the answer she got from him.

"Are you already excited for the ball at Lord Hammerback's house this weekend?" she started again.

"I sure am," Flack answered, monosyllabic. "Will you be attending?" he then asked his wife.

"Why would I not?" she exclaimed in wonder.

"You haven't been out in society for the last couple of weeks. You haven't received any of our guests and you haven't returned any calls. So, do you think my answer is quite so unjustified?" He looked up at Jessica and waited for her answer.

His wife, however, did not know what to reply. She knew that he was right, but the way in which he had confronted her with her own problems was too much to bear for her. She fell silent and stopped eating. Flack saw this and commented:

"Eat. You also haven't been eating properly."

"I am really sorry, darling, but I have suddenly lost my appetite," she retorted and stared down at her plate.

"Jessica," Don started and waited for his wife to look at him before he continued: "We have to work out our problems."

"I know we do," she muttered quietly. "But we both know that the biggest problem of all cannot be solved, no matter how hard I try."

Flack slowly breathed in and out, trying to find a good reply, but he knew that there was none. No matter what he now said, it would probably hurt his wife's feelings.

"Do you want to divorce me?" she then confronted him all of a sudden.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," she dug deeper.

"Yes, I have," Don admitted. "But we still are and I want us to remain married. It does not mean our problems are all gone though."

"I know that. But it is going to take some time for me to accept that I cannot give you what you desire," she let him know.

"Take your time then. Just promise me that you won't spend all that time thinking upstairs in your room. I have missed your company," he said and took Jessica's hand up to his lips to kiss it softly.

"Thank you, Donald. And I am sorry that I haven't been the best of wives lately," she apologized.

Don only smiled at her. He knew that there was a very rocky path still ahead because their childlessness was still, and would remain, a problem.

* * *

Danny walked into the pub and ordered a beer at the bar. After having paid for it, he scanned the room and saw his best friend Adam Ross sit in one corner.

"Hey Adam," he greeted him and sat down at Adam's table.

"Danny, it's so good to see you out. Haven't seen you much lately," Adam said in return.

"I know. I have been busy with work. The Lordship has a ball coming up and there are a lot of things he wants us to do," Danny explained.

"I heard about the ball. The Lady Lindsay has been visiting Lady Beatrice a lot."

"I know," was all that Danny said.

"Oh, is it still the little Lady Monroe that is haunting your dreams?" Adam teased, knowing that he had just hit a nerve with Danny.

"Why would you think that?" Danny wanted to know.

"Because everyone here knows that you have taking quite a liking to her," Adam told him.

"Everyone here knows?" Danny muttered under his breath, looking around the room where everyone else was minding their own business.

"Everyone," Adam emphasised. Danny took a sip of his beer and looked Adam. Adam studied Danny closer and asked then: "Will you be going after her?"

"Have you lost your mind, Adam? I cannot and I will not go after the Lady Lindsay," Danny hissed back.

"Why not? Just give me one good reason not to."

"Because I work for her uncle and because she is not a member of my class!" Danny cried out.

"Why would that stop you?" Adam wanted to know.

"Because you just don't marry someone from a different class – you always remain in the one you were born into, it's common knowledge," he sighed and with his eyes begged Adam to drop the topic.

* * *

_**Next up:**__** The ball! Will Bea choose one of her suitors? Will the appearance of the Flack couple silence all rumours about their declining marriage? Will Baroness Stella Bonasera get Mac to dance with her? And what happens when Lindsay steps on the dance floor with Danny instead of Hawkes?**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello everybody!**_

_**Thanks for your reviews! I know that normally I reply to every single one in a private message, but somehow I didn't get round to it this time. Please accept this as my sincere 'THANK YOU' for reading and reviewing this story!**_

_**To Dori:**__** You have put some ideas into my head with your last review. Even if I originally planned for Bea and Don to hit it off – and even if I still might head in that direction, your suggestion of a Bea/Hawkes pairing has definitely made me reconsider my plans. Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out what will happen in the end!**_

_**I know that it does not meet everyone's taste, but I am happy that there are some of you out there who like this.**_

_**Please leave me some feedback on this chapter as well! Thank you!!!**_

_**Thanks once again to my beta, Brina (Brinchen86)! You ROCK, girl. Thanks for all the support and I can't wait for our girls-weekend – will be so much fun!**_

_**Disclaimer**__**: Nothing's mine.**_

* * *

It was the day of the ball and Lindsay was beaming with excitement. She had been running around the house all day, commandeering servants around, making sure that everything looked perfect and was at its right place. Now, she took a couple of minutes for herself, standing in the big and wide dining hall that her uncle had emptied for the occasion of the ball.

Lindsay stood in the middle of the room, her eyes closed. She imagined music coming from one corner of the room. She imagined other couples dancing, laughing, enjoying themselves. Lindsay caught herself swirling around with her eyes closed, in tune with the imaginary music. She had no idea that Danny was standing at the door, watching her.

He had a smile on his lips as he observed Lindsay dancing around the room with her eyes closed. He knew that he probably shouldn't be standing there, watching the young Lady, but the sight of her just fascinated him. She was holding her skirt up with one hand and the other one was leaning on the shoulder of an imaginary partner. She had a smile on her lips. Danny had never before seen anyone as beautiful as the Lady Lindsay. His heart was beating a thousand times faster just by looking at her and he felt as if a lump in his throat was cutting of all his breath. He knew that Adam had been right when he said that Danny was hopelessly in love with this young beauty. Danny knew that there would never be a chance for him and Lindsay and yet, he could not help but dream about a future together. It was in fact all he could think about. He felt foolish for such thinking, but still, deep down he hoped that maybe, some day, Lindsay would answer his feelings and society would change so that they would finally have a chance.

Danny sighed, louder than he had wanted to and so snapped Lindsay out of her reveries. She abruptly turned around and blushed.

"How long have you been standing there, Master Daniel?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Not that long, Miss," he lied. "Sorry for watching you, but you just gave a pretty sight. I could not resist," he admitted and made Lindsay blush even more. But as soon as Danny smiled at her, she felt that there was no need for her to be ashamed. No matter what it was, a smile of his always put her back at ease.

"Do you dance, Master Daniel?" she then suddenly asked and caught Danny off-guard.

"I can dance, Miss, but I haven't in years. But I bet that all of your partners tonight will be very good dancers," he said, touched his wool cap on his hat and was about to turn around when Lindsay called him back:

"Would you dance with me, Master Daniel?" Lindsay surprised herself by asking this, but she thought it had been her heart asking, rather than her head, who knew it was a foolish idea.

Danny just looked at Lindsay and wondered: "But Miss, I have work to do."

"Just one little dance. There isn't even any music, so we will simply have to imagine it ourselves. Oh please, Daniel. Just one dance and I will let you get back to work," she pleaded.

Danny then stepped towards her and, unsure of where to put his hands, he had to have Lindsay do it. Strategically, she placed his right hand on her lower back and took his left in hers. She smiled a broad smile at him and Danny felt – at the touch of her hand and the feel of her back beneath his fingers – as if he would faint any second. He could smell the scent of her hair and he thought that he had never smelled anything nicer than that. Her body was warm underneath his fingers and her eyes were beaming at him.

"Should we just stand here all day or are you going to lead?" Lindsay snapped him out of his thoughts.

Danny cleared his throat and then started to lead. At first he thought that it would not be easy to dance without any music, but having Lindsay so close to him felt so natural that both immediately found their rhythm and danced through the dining hall. When Danny turned her around, Lindsay had to giggle. She had never had so much fun dancing and she had never felt so good before. She knew she had to tell all of this to Bea because her best friend would be the only one to understand her feelings for Danny.

The two of them were dancing around the dining room, completely forgetting that there was a world outside of their own. They continuously looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Lindsay had to admit that Danny touching her, his hand slightly moving over her lower back, sent thousands of little shivers down her spine. The sparkles of chemistry between those two were so evident and both hoped that this dance would never end.

"Lindsay!" her uncle shouted in an angry voice as he beheld his niece dancing with his servant.

Danny and Lindsay both felt as if they had been caught doing something illegal and broke apart vehemently. Danny just stared down on the floor and as he caught Lindsay's gaze once and saw her nodding at him, he understood it as his sign to leave the room as quickly as possible. He turned around, hiding his face with his wool cap and walked past Lord Hammerback, out of the room.

Sid looked at Lindsay, anger written all over his face and gestures. His hands were stemmed into his side and his eyebrows were raised.

"You want to tell me what this was all about?" he demanded an explanation from Lindsay.

"We danced," she answered shyly.

"I could see that," Sid replied and took a deep breath. "Lindsay, the other servants might have seen you!" he reproached.

"I am so sorry, Uncle. I do not know what has gotten into me," Lindsay tried to apologize.

"I have so much to do; I cannot deal with you right now. I want you to go upstairs in your room and get ready for the ball," he said and Lindsay had already walked past him, tears in her eyes, when he called after her once more: "We will talk about this some other time. I will not forget that this happened!"

Lindsay did not turn back round; she just fled the room as quickly as possible and stumbled up the stairs into her room. Inside, she fell down on her bed, crying. _Why was love so very difficult_, she asked herself.

* * *

By the time Beatrice and her father arrived at Lord Hammerback's house, the ball had already started and the first guests were already dancing. Her father had been home again late and so they had come past the time. They gave their coats and hats and bonnets to one of the maids and then walked into the wide entrance hall. Lord Hammerback's house was freshly polished and there were flowers everywhere – Lindsay's doing as Bea guessed.

Just as Bea and her father walked into the wide dining hall that had been made into a ball room, they both ran into Flack and Jessica.

"Earl of Heslington, so nice to see you here tonight," Jessica greeted him. Jessica was wearing a beautiful red ball gown which suited her paleness and long, dark hair perfectly. Bea had to admit that she looked splendid.

"Deputy Chief Constable Flack and Mrs Flack! It's so nice to see you two out tonight. I haven't seen you out and about in quite a long time," Mac remarked.

"My wife has been ill and so we had to cut down on public obligations," Flack explained.

"I hope it was nothing serious," Bea then brought herself into the conversation.

"Lady Beatrice, you look absolutely wonderful tonight," Flack then remarked. He looked at Bea and had to say that she looked really beautiful that night – she was wearing a dark blue dress, laced around the neck line. Her long and blonde hair was falling down in curls, looking like silk. She was wearing a silver diadem in her hair and it was sparkling in the light. The dark blue gloves put an emphasis on her slender and slim arms and hands.

"Thank you very much," Bea replied, blushing lightly. "But so does your wife," she added, out of politeness.

"Thank you, Lady Beatrice," Jessica said and then stayed silent.

Bea and Mac, both, noticed that Bea had never gotten an answer to her question as to Jessica's illness. But because neither one wanted to be impolite, they dropped the topic and did not press it any further.

Bea then touched her father's arm slightly and whispered to him that she would now go and find Lindsay. She nodded and smiled at both Flack and Jessica and then left. She looked around the room, trying to find Lindsay amongst all of those guests. There were a lot of people who wanted to start a conversation with Bea, but she always excused herself, wanting to find her best friend first. When she saw Lindsay across the room, her friend was talking to Dr. Hawkes, laughing at something he had said. Lindsay was wearing a beautiful and lacy white dress and she looked like a princess. She had flowers in her long blonde curls and Bea had to admire her friend's beauty.

Bea walked over to Lindsay and cleared her throat to get her friend's attention.

"Bea! Finally!" Lindsay greeted her friend enthusiastically and took both of Bea's hands, to take a closer look at her. "You look so splendid! Oh Bea, what a beauty you are!" she called out. "Don't you agree, Dr. Hawkes, doesn't Beatrice look very handsome tonight?"

Sheldon nodded and smiled at Bea, who smiled back at him, seemingly embarrassed at all the compliments that Lindsay gave her.

"Lindsay, this ball is perfect! You and your uncle have outdone yourself!" Bea then said and smiled at Lindsay – a wide and open smile, very genuine.

"You think so?" Lindsay asked, needing reassurance. "You think everyone feels welcome and is having a good time?" she worried.

Bea and Lindsay then looked around at all of the other guests and everyone was either involved in deep conversation, was dancing or laughing. Across the room, Bea could see her father talk to the Baroness Bonasera.

"Looks like she found him," Bea said and pointed her father and Stella out to Lindsay.

Lindsay giggled and retorted: "But do you think it so very bad if your father remarried? And then someone like the Baroness? She's got class, she's got style. And if you ask me, she really is a very nice sort of person."

"I know that she is nice. And if my father likes her, then he shouldn't mind me. But if you want my honest opinion – she is trying too hard. Women should make themselves scarce, the men should be the ones chasing women down, not the other way round," Bea remarked.

Just as Bea said this, Lindsay eyed Danny from across the room, serving some drinks. She had to think of their dance again that afternoon – a mistake in her uncle's opinion, the greatest thing Lindsay had ever done though.

"You'll excuse me," Dr. Hawkes said – the two ladies had already completely forgotten about him anyway.

Now that they were finally alone, Lindsay took Bea by the hand and took her into the adjoining room, out on the balcony, where they were alone. And there she burst out:

"I danced with Danny today, Bea, and my heart was so wide – I have never felt like that before! What do I do now?"

Bea smiled at her friend. "Looks like you finally made your decision," was all she had to say.

"What do you mean by that?" Lindsay needed to know.

"If you ask me, you finally decided _not _to marry Dr. Hawkes. Your heart belongs to Master Daniel – you should follow it," Bea advised.

"But Bea, it's not that easy, is it?" Lindsay looked at her friend pleadingly. She was so confused that she simply needed her friend to make a decision for her.

"Lindsay, do not marry Dr. Hawkes, please," Bea finally said.

"Why? Just give me one good reason,"

"Because I want you to be happy and as nice a man as Dr. Hawkes is, he is not _the one _for you. But Danny seems to be," Bea said and gently caressed her friend's cheek.

"My uncle will not like that," Lindsay said and smiled at Bea. She was so happy to have a friend like that.

"Who cares about your uncle? You will always have me to rely on," Bea said and the two of them stared out into the night.

* * *

Mac and Stella were on the dance-floor and both had to admit to themselves that they really enjoyed the other one's company.

"Your daughter looks very beautiful tonight. You have done a splendid job at raising her," Stella complimented Mac.

"Thank you, Baroness," he said and smiled at her.

"Please, just make it Stella. Amongst ourselves there is no need to be formal, is there?" she suggested.

Mac beamed at her and nodded, keeping Stella very close to him. He really liked her, but he did not know what his daughter would say to his possible plans of another marriage.

* * *

Bea and Lindsay were still standing on the balcony, talking about this and that, just as friends normally did. Lindsay started to rub her arms because she felt chilly, so she decided to go back inside. Bea, however, wanted to remain outside – she enjoyed the fresh air and she thought she could never get enough of it. She missed the healthy air of Heslington Hall while she was staying here in London. She couldn't wait for winter to be over and go back. She had actually talked to Lindsay about Heslington so many times that her best friend was quite set upon spending her summer there as well – possibly the last summer that both could spend together, unmarried.

Bea sighed. She still had her father's threats at the back of her head.

"Aren't you a little cold, Miss?" Flack walked out onto the balcony. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. He looked very sophisticated tonight and, as Bea had to admit, very handsome. He was wearing his hair a little longer than others, with sideburns running down to the middle of his cheeks. His hair was black and full and more than once had Bea felt the urge to let her hands go through them.

"I'm fine, Constable. Thank you for your concern though, I feel honoured," she smiled at him.

Flack settled down next to Bea and looked out into the garden behind Lord Hammerback's house. He had some candles put up around the garden and the vague, flickering light of them put the whole garden into a sombre atmosphere. Not spine-chillingly weird, but comfortably relaxing.

"This is nice," Flack said, not looking over to where Bea was standing. She, however, had turned her gaze towards Flack and was watching him. Just as she had always felt a certain sensation rushing through her body by the sight of the very handsome and tall man, she couldn't help but feel the same at that very moment. She barely knew this man and yet, he held a certain power over Bea's mind. She didn't know what it was – it might have been just his very pleasing outer-appearance. But Bea felt as if she was a character in one of the novels she always read – falling for a man who was already taken.

"Is everything alright, Lady Beatrice?" Flack asked, noticing that Bea was watching him.

She felt caught and blushed. "Everything alright," she said and then added, after she had found her composure again, "And why don't you just drop the title? Make it Beatrice."

She offered her hand for Don to shake. He had never had a woman give her hand for shaking. It was the custom that men kissed the back of a woman's hand, but somehow Don had always known that Bea was different from the rest of the women. So he laughed at her and shook her hand as a sign of a beginning and blossoming friendship.

* * *

_**Next chapter:**__** The ball will continue! What will Lindsay say to Danny the next time they get some quiet alone-time? How will Bea react when she overhears a private conversation between Mac and Stella? And what happens when Bea suddenly finds herself between two men, one of whom she had never considered as a suitor before – will she maybe change her attitude?**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey everybody! Sorry for the big delay in updating, but my life at the moment is so crazy and I have so many things to do. Next update might take a little while as well – my life is so hectic, I don't even have the time to sleep.**_

_**I hope though you're not angry with me by now for taking my time.**_

_**Anyway, here is a new update and I hope you readers still like the story!**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews, encouragement and support I have gotten till now, you have no idea how much that means to me! Keep them coming, it is so very much appreciated. Any constructive criticism this way as well – I will NOT bite your head off, I promise!**_

_**Oh, and as for **__**pairings**__** – I still don't quite know whether this should be a Bea/Flack story or a Bea/Hawkes story. How about you leave me a comment in your review on this and I let the majority decide? I have also created a poll on my profile page, for those lurkers that do read, but don't comment and still would like to have a little say in the matter!**_

* * *

Bea was still standing outside, alone by now. She heard footsteps approaching and tilted her head in that direction – it was Dr. Hawkes coming out onto the balcony.

"Aren't you getting a little cold, Miss?" he worried nicely.

"I'm fine, thank you very much, Dr. Hawkes," Bea replied.

Hawkes stepped over and stood next to Bea, looking out into the garden and the night ahead.

"I take it you're not a ball person?" he started up a conversation.

Bea smiled and turned towards him: "What makes you think that?"

"Well," he smirked "you're not inside dancing with all of the other ladies and gentlemen."

"Neither are you," she remarked and raised her eyebrows in a playful manner.

"Touché," Hawkes laughed. "I really am not a ball sort of person. I rather read," he then confessed.

Bea, who knew barely anything about Hawkes apart from his profession, was curious to find out more, seeing as they already had two things in common. "What sort of books do you read?" she asked.

"Lately I have gotten into Mr Dickens. Have you read anything by him? Or do you even read at all?" he wanted to know, knowing that it was always safe to assume of a lady in society that she didn't spend her free time reading.

"I do read indeed – sometimes I think that's all I'm doing," Bea let him know and then added: "I sometimes even write myself. But please, do not laugh at me for that." She had never let anyone but Lindsay know about her passion for writing. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but with Hawkes, she felt safe to share this little bit of information.

"Really? What kinds of books do you write? Novels?" he asked.

"Novels indeed. Most of my stories are inspired by the novels of Jane Austen herself," she admitted, slightly blushing.

"I love Jane Austen," Hawkes confessed. When he saw Bea looking at him, with eyes wide open, he went on: "I know what you might now think – that those are books for ladies alone. I personally do not read them for the stories or the romance, but for the wonderful talent that Miss Austen expresses in her writing." He looked at Bea and saw her smiling at him.

"I couldn't have put it any better," she said.

"Have you ever thought about publishing anything you've written?"

"No," Bea said and sighed. "My father does not appreciate of my writing and so I actually am hiding it from him, masking it as keeping a diary," she blurted out.

Hawkes had to laugh at this and then replied: "You shouldn't be hiding it from the world. I'm quite certain that your writing is worth reading and the world loses out on yet another fantastic female writer."

Bea didn't answer, but she felt her cheeks redden and thus turned away from Hawkes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hawkes apologized when he realized that he had embarrassed Bea. "I didn't mean to make you blush. I was merely encouraging you, that is all."

"Thank you, Dr, Hawkes," she said and wanted to add something else, but was interrupted by Lindsay coming outside.

"There you are," she greeted her best friend, clearly out of breath and her cheeks were red from dancing. "You have to come inside and dance, Beatrice. This is a ball after all!" she exclaimed.

Bea smiled at her friend and then took the hand that Lindsay offered her and walked after her back inside. Hawkes was left outside, alone with his thoughts. He was confused – he was meant to marry the Lady Lindsay and yet, this brief conversation with the Lady Beatrice had made him re-consider his marriage intentions – what if a girl like Lindsay was not the right choice for him, but someone like Bea was better suited to be his future wife?

* * *

Back inside, Danny was standing at the corner of the room, a tray in his hand. He was supposed to serve the guests, but just because almost all of them were dancing, he did not want to walk into the midst of them and risk the glasses being kicked off the tray. He noticed Lord Hammerback glaring at him from time to time and he attributed his master's anger to the dance he had shared with Lady Lindsay that morning. Danny wasn't sure whether he might not lose his job after the ball, but he was sure of one thing – he had gotten a dance with Lindsay and that was worth all the trouble which might be awaiting him later.

He still thought that he could smell Lindsay's perfume in his nose and he hoped that the smell would continue to linger on. He also thought that he could still feel the warmth of her back on his hand and he felt the sudden urge to walk over to her and touch her again. He knew he was not allowed to and so he remained standing in the corner, watching the most beautiful girl in the world from afar.

* * *

Deputy Chief Constable Flack had been on the dance floor with his wife Jessica almost all night and when another dancer asked him to have a dance with his gorgeous wife, he was more than happy to have him take over. Flack felt exhausted and he needed a break – preferably with a good old Scotch and good cigar. He walked over to the adjoining room and sat down in one of the old leather chairs. A servant walked over to him and Flack asked for a Scotch and a cigar. He settled back into the chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

He could clearly see his wife, in her beautiful red gown and flowing dark hair – he hadn't seen her as beautiful in a long time. He was happy to see her so gay and full of joy that he could hardly remember her being any different. And yet, at the back of his head, there was that one nagging doubt that once they got back home, she might sink back into her depressions. The problem of their childlessness still remained and no matter how often he kept assuring her that it didn't matter to him, they both knew that it did. He had always dreamt of having a big family of his own and now, those dreams seemed to shatter.

He loved Jessica, beyond a doubt, but sometimes – even if it was only for the glance of a second – he wondered whether love was enough to keep this marriage afloat. He wondered how other couples dealt with childlessness, but he couldn't think of a single couple among his closer acquaintances which had to deal with the same problems.

Flack sighed and heard someone clear his or her throat close by.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but you looked as if you needed some water, so I had a servant fetch some. Are you alright, Constable? You look so very pale."

Flack looked up and saw Beatrice looking down on him. He took the glass of water she held in her hands and assured her that he was just fine, maybe a little overheated from all the dancing.

Bea smiled at him and said: "I know what you mean. I took a break because I thought I would burst. It is so very warm in there, don't you think?"

"I have to agree. But please, sit down. No need to stand around there," he offered Bea the other leather chair next to his.

Bea sat down and let out a little sigh. Her feet were hurting and she wished she could just take off her shoes and walk barefoot. But she didn't even want to know what her father would have to say to such an affront and so she simply kept her shoes on her feet and suffered through the pain.

"I haven't seen your wife out a lot lately. But she seems to be alright tonight. Has she been ill?" Bea took up the question that Flack hadn't answered earlier.

"She has been a little ill, but all is fine again and she has completely recovered. Thanks for asking though," he said and hoped that Bea would drop the topic. He did not want to get into any more detail, knowing about the rumours that were already going around.

Bea sensed his reluctance to talk about his wife and so she didn't dig deeper. Both stayed silent for some time, till Flack got up and said:

"Guess I should head back inside. Jess is probably already wondering where I am." He walked over to Bea, bowed down and kissed her smooth, white hand as it was the custom when saying good-bye to a lady. Bea was then left alone, but not for long.

She heard someone coming in the room behind her, a man and a woman, going by the voices she heard. The female voice seemed vaguely familiar and she hadn't heard enough of what the man said to make out who he was. They didn't notice Bea, who was sitting in the leather chair, whose back was turned towards them.

"So it's not just me?" the female voice asked.

"No," the man replied and then added: "I've been having feelings for you for a while now."

To her utter dismay, Bea suddenly realized who the man and the woman were whom she was listening to – her very own father and the Baroness Bonasera. She sat higher up in her chair and listened more carefully to what was being said.

"So what now?" she heard Stella ask.

"I don't know. I have always had a very fair relationship with my daughter and I'd like to talk to her first before I fling this at her out of the blue," he father answered.

Bea did not know for certain what those two were talking about, but she had a faint idea and she didn't like the thought of what she thought was being discussed – her father marrying the Baroness. _Did she finally get her way_, Bea thought. She couldn't quite say why, but she didn't like the Baroness. It might have been that she simply didn't know Stella well enough or because she was childish enough not to want to share her father with anyone else – but she simply did not like the idea of Stella becoming her step mother.

"Let us just keep this quiet for a while longer and I assure you, I will talk to Beatrice," her father then announced. After that, there was a silence of voices, but the sound of two people gently kissing. Bea felt her stomach turn upside down – she simply didn't want to picture her father with another woman but her own mother. She was eighteen years old and not willing to accept some woman she barely knew as a new mother in her life.

* * *

Lindsay walked out onto the balcony, closing her eyes and inhaling the fresh air of the night. She was utterly tired and exhausted, but she had never felt so happy in her entire life. The ball was a total success and everyone was enjoying it, the music, the food and the drinks. She had danced with so many different men tonight and she had felt every single one piercing her with his eyes. It was a well-known fact that she was not yet engaged to anyone and only really close friends knew about her being promised to Dr. Hawkes. At some points during the night, Lindsay had felt like a piece of meat on the market whose price was discussed among the buyers and only the one offering the most would get her. Neither one of the men had looked at her for who she really was – a nice girl with deep, emotional feelings of her own. She wanted to marry for love and love only, but it seemed that in the society she lived in, this wish was not always granted.

Lindsay loathed London society when it was doing this to her – why was she not allowed to follow her heart?

Lindsay was frightened by a sound coming out of the dark. A shadow emerged from the corner and the farther the person stepped into the light, the more she could see. It was Danny, who had been hiding out on the balcony, trying to get some fresh air and trying to get away from the glaring stares that Lord Hammerback was shooting in his very direction all evening. He knew that he was neglecting his duties, but since he knew that he was already in trouble for the dance that morning, he simply didn't care anymore and took a little bit of time off for himself. He had never expected to walk into the girl of his dreams though and all of a sudden, Danny was completely tongue-tied and he had no idea what to say.

"Master Daniel," Lindsay was to first to say, holding her hand over her heart, signalling that he had frightened her.

"I'm sorry if I have frightened you, miss," he said and was about to walk past Lindsay back into the house, when he felt a tender hand holding him back.

"Don't," Lindsay faintly whispered and Danny stopped, his face only inches apart from hers. He could feel her breath on his nose and he stared into her deep, blue eyes. She was so very beautiful that he had trouble breathing.

He heard Lindsay say something, but the rush of blood in his ears was too loud for him to understand anything. He gulped and said:

"What did you say, miss?"

Lindsay repeated, whispering: "Kiss me, Danny!"

Danny's breath stopped for a second and he thought he was caught up in a day dream of his. But here she was – the beautiful Lady Lindsay, the girl of his dreams – begging him to kiss her under the clear blue sky of the night, beneath the stars.

Danny leaned forward and his lips lightly touched Lindsay's. He expected her to break the kiss off immediately, realizing the big mistake she was making. But instead, he felt her pressing her lips on his, harder and harder. He gave in to the kiss, which grew more and more passionate. His arms embraced all of Lindsay's body and he hoped that the feel of her lips would remain on his forever.

"Guards!" he heard someone call out in an angry and loud voice. Lindsay and Danny broke apart immediately, only to stare into the enraged face of Lord Hammerback.

* * *

_**Don't miss: Danny getting in serious trouble for kissing Lindsay, Lindsay getting in serious trouble for kissing Danny and Bea's conversation with her father!**_


End file.
